HC issues notice to J-K govt over highway traffic restrictions

The Jammu and Kashmir High Court Monday issued a notice to the state government on a plea seeking striking down of the ban on movement of civilian vehicles on the Jammu-Srinagar national highway on Sundays and Wednesdays.

A division bench of Chief Justice Gita Mittal and Justice Tashi Rabstan issued notice to the state government on a public interest litigation filed by former IAS officer Shah Faesal, through his counsel advocate Tassaduq Khwaja.

Faesal, in his PIL, has sought quashing of the order passed by state government last week, according to which the movement of civilian traffic on National Highway 44 between Udhampur and Baramulla has been banned on Sundays and Wednesdays to allow safe passage to security forces convoys. The ban came into force on Sunday.

The division bench directed the petition be listed for next hearing on Tuesday.

Faesal, the 2010 batch UPSC topper, resigned from the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) in January this year to protest unabated killings in Kashmir and maginalisation of Indian Muslims. Last month, he launched his own party the 'Jammu and Kashmir People's Movement'.